Could have walked away, now he has a felony. Baltimore man knocks a cop out, crowd erupts in cheers

Two Baltimore police officers were attacked by a man while trying to talk to him on a residential city street, according to a video posted to World Star Hip Hop on Thursday.

The video shows two uniformed officers, a Black man (a trainee) and a white woman, attempting to talk to a young shirtless Black man. The man keeps telling the officers not to touch him. A crowd of onlookers is gathered around on the sidewalk at a distance while others can be seen looking out from ground floor rowhouse windows, doors and an alley gate.

After a minute or so of this the confrontation escalates as the officers decide to take the man in to custody.

The man violently resists, struggling against both officers and then eventually squaring off against the female officer. The male officer attempts to intercede and is dropped by one punch to the head by the suspect. Someone off camera warns the suspect is trying to take the unconscious officer’s weapon. The officer quickly comes to and helps the female officer as she tries to handcuff the suspect. All three end up wrestling on the sidewalk.

At no point did the officers use any weapons on the man, nor did they appear to draw their guns on him. Apparently Baltimore police officers are expected to take a beating rather than risk hurting an attacker and setting off another riot.

Justin Fenton of the Baltimore Sun posted on Twitter the attacker’s name, James Young, and the numerous charges he is being held on without bond.

re: that Worldstar video of city officer getting punched, the officer in question was a trainee. Suspect now being held without bond

— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) October 9, 2015

“re: that Worldstar video of city officer getting punched, the officer in question was a trainee. Suspect now being held without bond”